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When Should You Use Data Binding?

Want to know what data binding is and when to use it? Need to transform XML using ASP.NET? Rob’s got the answers.

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When Should You Use Data Binding?

Want to know what data binding is and when to use it? Need to transform XML using ASP.NET? Rob's got the answers.

 

By Rob Howard

 

In this installment I'll address a couple great questions, starting off with when you should use data binding.

 

Is using the DataSource property of a control to "bind" to a data source, such as a DataSet or DataTable, a good practice? Is a developer giving up control of their code by using this technique? When would it be better to build a control's content (e.g., the items in a list box) programmatically without using the DataSource property?

- Michael Hodnick

 

Several ASP.NET server controls - especially DataGrid, DataList, Repeater, DropDownList, and ListBox - support the concept of data binding. Data binding allows you to bind to any data structure that implements either the IEnumerable, ICollection, or IListSource interfaces. Examples of classes that implement one of the necessary interfaces include ArrayList, Hashtable, DataView, DataReader, and DataSet.

 

So exactly what is data binding? If you look over any classic ASP code that accesses a recordset and enumerates the data to render a table or display a <select> drop down, you'll recall seeing code that looks similar to this:

 

<%

Response.Write "<TABLE BORDER=0 CELLSPACING=1>"

 

' Display table headings for each column in the recordset

Dim objField

Response.Write "<TR>" & vbNewLine

For Each objField in objRS.Fields

  Response.Write "<TH>" & objField.Name & "</TH>" & _

   vbNewLine

Next

Response.Write "</TR>" & vbNewLine

 

' Now loop through the recordset, displaying TR/TD tags

Do While Not objRS.EOF

   ' Write the TR

   Response.Write "<TR>" & vbNewLine

 

   ' Now loop through the recordset Fields

   For Each objField in objRS.Fieldsd

       Response.Write "<TD>" & objField.Value & "</TD>" & _

        vbNewLine

   Next

 

   ' Close the TR tag

   Response.Write "</TR>" & vbNewLine

 

   ' Advance the recordset

   objRS.MoveNext

Loop

 

' Close the table tag...

Response.Write "</TABLE>" & vbNewLine

%>

 

Here's how you generate the same table with ASP.NET's new data-binding feature:

 

<Script runat="server">

  Public Function Page_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)

    Dim myConnection As New SqlConnection(...connection string...)

    Dim myCommand As New SqlCommand("SELECT * FROM AUTHORS", myConnection)

 

     myConnection.Open()

     myDataGrid.DataSource = myCommand.ExecuteReader()

     myDataGrid.DataBind()

     myConnection.Close()

  End Function

</Script>

<asp:DataGrid runat="server" id="myDataGrid"/>

 

I think we can all agree that the latter is much cleaner. But Michael also asks whether he is sacrificing flexibility or control when using data binding. The answer: absolutely not. In the previous example using the DataGrid, the columns returned will be used to generate columns automatically in the rendered table. If you want more control over how this is rendered, you can use templates like this:

 

<Script runat="server">

  Public Function Page_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)

    Dim myConnection As New SqlConnection(...connection string...)

    Dim myCommand As New SqlCommand("SELECT * FROM AUTHORS", myConnection)

 

     myConnection.Open()

     myDataList.DataSource = myCommand.ExecuteReader()

     myDataList.DataBind()

     myConnection.Close()

  End Function

</Script>

<asp:DataList runat="server" id="myDataList">

  <ItemTemplate>

    <b><%# DataBinder.Eval(Container.DataItem("fname")) %>

  </ItemTemplate>

</asp:DataList>

 

In the previous sample, I changed the server control to a DataList and specified a template, in this case the ItemTemplate. When data binding occurs, the DataList renders each record using this template. This gives you a high degree of control over the display of the server control. The ItemTemplate is but one of the templates that the DataList support. Additional templates include HeaderTemplate, AlternatingItemTemplate, SeparatorTemplate, and FooterTemplate.

 

In the pre-.NET era, it was very popular to build sites using an XML-XSL combination: XML for the content, and XSL for the structure and graphics. How can you accomplish this in ASP.NET? The Web controls create the HTML automatically and they bind the data on the server side, so the HTML comes to the browser with the data in it. Does this mean the XML-XSL technology is no longer relevant and should be used only for data exchange between applications?

- Memi Lavi

 

What Memi refers to is a design pattern for building applications that lets you control the mark-up sent to a client requesting a Web application. All the site content and data is available in a raw XML format, instead of being tightly coupled to the mark-up. Then an XSLT template is applied to the XML based on the client making the request. A great example of this is a list of flight times stored in an XML file and then transformed to HTML if the client were a Web browser, or transformed to WML if the request originated from a mobile device. This works nicely because you can render the appropriate content by simply providing the correct XSLT template for transforming the XML.

 

ASP.NET supports this transformation scenario with the XML server control. In Here, the XSL transforms the XML on the server and renders the content to the client:

 

<%@ Page Language="vb" AutoEventWireup="false"

 Codebehind="XmlControl1.aspx.vb"

 Inherits="TipsTricks.XmlControl1"%>

<HTML>

  <body>

    <asp:xml id="MyXml1"

      DocumentSource="SalesData.xml"

      TransformSource="SalesChart.xsl"

      runat="server" />

  </body>

</HTML>

 

I wouldn't go as far to say that XML-XSL technology is no longer relevant; however, ASP.NET does make a lot of what XML/XSLT does easier through server controls. ASP.NET server controls provide declarative, encapsulated application functionality and are capable of rendering different content for different devices - if the server control supports the device. A great example of this is the Microsoft Mobile Internet Toolkit (MMIT), which includes a suite of server controls that can intelligently render HTML or WML based on the device from which the request originated. You can learn more about the MMIT at http://www.asp.net/.

 

If you want to learn more about ASP.NET or have questions, check out the ASP.NET Forums at http://www.asp.net (look for the Forums tab), or send e-mail to [email protected].

 

Rob Howard is a program manager on the ASP.NET team. He also writes the Microsoft Developer Network's "Nothing but ASP.NET" column and is a co-author of Professional ASP.NET (Wrox Press).

 

Tell us what you think! Please send any comments about this article to [email protected]. Please include the article title and author.

 

 

 

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